Rencontres: A Gathering of Voices of the Vietnamese Diaspora
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, 1-2 December, 2016
Literature of the Vietnamese diaspora in the English and French speaking worlds, as well as scholarship on Franco- and Anglophone Vietnamese writing, flourish for the most part in separation from one another. At present, no substantial work brings these voices into dialogue. This two day colloquium seeks to facilitate such an exchange through a gathering of writers and scholars of the Vietnamese diaspora, its literature and artistic production.
We will host author readings by French, New Caledonian and Australian writers of Vietnamese origin in a public reception in the early evening on 1 December prior to an academic colloquium to take place all day on December 2.
The following writers will present their work at the public lecture: Anna Moï, Thanh-Van Tran-Nhut, Marcelino Truong (France), Jean Vanmai (New Caledonia) Chi Vu, Hoa Pham (Australia).
Topics of interest for scholarly papers include, but are in no way limited to:
- Connections /comparisons between Vietnamese diasporic literatures and arts
- Diaspora Literary Studies
- 1st, 1.5 and 2nd generation writers of the diaspora
- Narratives of refugee experience
- Narratives of migration and exile
- Trends in genre
- Positions on “Vietnamese Francophone", "Vietnamese Australian", "Minority" or "Ethnic" literatures.
- Post-colonial literature
- The Vietnam War in literature and artistic production
Please send an abstract in English OR French of up to 250 words to alex.kurmann@mq.edu.au by September 15.